Porsche CEO says 2013 car sales to beat 2012 levels

BERLIN (Reuters) - German sports-car maker Porsche (VOWG_p.DE) expects to increase deliveries next year beyond the 140,000 vehicles the company plans to sell in 2012, chief executive Matthias Mueller said.

Yet the pace of sales increases will likely slow in 2013 as global auto markets are deteriorating, Mueller told Munich-based journalists at a briefing late on Wednesday.

China will likely replace the United States as Porsche's biggest market next year, the CEO said.

Mueller said he could not rule out that the German manufacturer may produce vehicles in China or the United States in the future but this was not an issue for now at the Volkswagen-owned company, he said.